Top 5 New Revelations About Andor From the Posted Screenplay “Welcome to the Rebellion”

Recently, the screenplay for Season 2, Episode 9 of Andor was posted. Most of it reads like the episode we watched. Yet, there are some interesting differences, especially with the dialogue. 

The screenplay included inner monologues that were not used in Episode 9, “Welcome to the Rebellion,” which provide new insights into the main characters and revelations about the show. 

As this episode begins after the Ghorman Massacre, the nascent Rebellion has reached a crossroads when it’s time to act. The pressure has reached a boiling point, and we can see it in their dialogue. Beyond the use of obscenities, the inner dialogue reflects added dimensions to already complex characters, which in turn enhances the series. 

1. Mothma’s Connection with Maarva

We can read from the posted screenplay (on page 7) about the scene when Mon Mothma was informed by Erskin Semaj of the listening device in her office. After he brought it over to her desk, Mothma stared at the device for a moment before deciding to smash it. What’s added in the script is an inner obscenity, “F___ the Empire!” That spices up the moment, but what’s more interesting is how this line connects Mothma back to Maarva Andor. 

In her video projected message, Maarva was originally going to say these words, instead of the “Fight the Empire” we heard in the episode. As fans discussed here, the original line was dubbed over for a less offensive phrase that aligned with Disney executives. 

Yet, with the disclosure of Mothma’s inner words, the two characters share the same sentiment. We bridge moments of defiance that launched the Rebellion. 

2. Kleya Marki’s Humanness

As Kleya and Luthen walked away from the Senate loading dock following Mothma’s speech (page 39 of the screenplay), Luthen nearly yelled, “They’re coming down here!” Kleya assured him that she would find Cassian and Mothma. Yet, what she wanted to say to Luthen, and instead said to herself, was “Shut the F___ up.” This private inner remark is rather humorous, as this video suggests, giving us a laugh amid the intensity. But this thought also adds to Kleya’s character. 

Including those frank words in her inner monologue makes Kleya more human and adds to a theme that Andor has focused on across the two seasons. This line reinforces the idea that Kleya, especially as an underground leader, had felt the building pressure and was on the verge of snapping at Luthen and probably everyone else. 

As this recent article reveals, actor Elizabeth Dulau spoke about the complexity of Kleya. Dulau commented about her character, “On the surface she comes across as very controlled all the time and quite cold.” Yet, “there’s a lot underneath” that she keeps submerged, including “trying to repress any feelings of love or friendship or caring.” 

This brief line is a testament to that larger idea. Kleya is among the more thought-provoking characters of the show. 

3. Bail Organa’s Significance

One of the points that fans noted in this Reddit forum about the posted script was a line from Bail Organa. Before Mothma gave her speech (on page 20), he said, “We do what we can. Tear the shit out of this place.” We also hear it in the episode, so it registers twice as a character reflection for Bail.

This side of him is surprising, given that he’s usually depicted as a regal statesman, always calm and controlled (similar to Kleya). During the Clone Wars, Bail was known for his efforts to “de-escalate the war and bring about a diplomatic solution.” This moment shows his willingness to take action and depart from usual decorum.

Moreover, by showcasing Bail in Andor this way, this depiction contributes to the importance of an arguably minor character having a “major impact.”  We saw Bail’s impact in Revenge of the Sith, and this series extends his significance. 

4. Kloris Possibly Siding with the Rebels

The above discussion also brings up the possibility that Exmar Kloris was not going to kill Mothma. We can see in the screenplay that Kloris was supposed to have the blaster in his lap, but in the episode, it was on the seat. As Cassian and Mothma drew closer, the script indicates, “KLORIS clocks them – unsure – where’s his blaster? –”. 

The wording makes it sound like he is unsure and that he may have left his blaster behind on purpose. If this insight gets confirmed, we could place Kloris on the Rebel side, reflecting the pull of the movement. 

The fact that Cassian shot him so quickly, perhaps too hastily, also adds to his character’s complexity, one that also travels back to the beginning of the series and Rogue One. 

5. Mothma’s Speech and the Rebellion

In the screenplay, we get to read the full version of Mon Mothma’s speech that she gave in the episode. Fans may have read about how actor Genevieve O’Reilly wanted to perform the entire speech to add to this moment of crisis.

This article discusses that decision and how the Andor version departed yet coincided with the Rebels’ one. O’Reilly commented on how Mothma knew that now was “the time to use her one weapon, which is her voice,” and that she had to make the greatest impact with this speech. What we see from page to screen is the creation of an impactful character in the rebellion.

The Rebels’ version is stirring too, and the speech included Mothma broadcasting out how the Empire “had strangled” the galaxy’s liberties. Yet, with Mothma calling out what happened in Ghorman as an “UNPROVOKED GENOCIDE,” this character has now responded in a heightened Andor-type manner. 

Actor O’Reilly gave the performance, and writer Tony Gilroy delivered the entire speech in a short few days. As with Rebels, it is a defining moment when Mothma announced and joined the Rebellion. With the full speech published and delivered in the episode, the intensity of this decision and the launching of the Galactic War is all the more compelling.